Cab 19 Nov 2015 Item 08 Loughborough Business Improvement District - Second Term

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Part B Background information on BIDs 1. BIDs are business led partnerships which are created following a ballot of businesses in the BID area in order to deliver additional services to local businesses usually over a five year period. They can be a powerful tool for bringing the business community and local authorities to work together to improve the local trading environment. 2. BID is a defined area in which a levy is charged on all non – domestic ratepayers in addition to the non – domestic rates bill. A BID can only be established and a levy charged following approval of a proposals setting out what the BID will deliver, via a ballot of the businesses liable to pay the levy. The levy is used to deliver a business plan developed to benefit the businesses in the local area. The business plan should include services that are additional or improvements to the services provided by the local authority. 3. There are now over 200 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) operating across the UK. The majority are town centre BIDs and in 2014 the combined levy income from BIDs was £65,500,000 with BIDs securing further income of £130,300,000. The Government is supportive of BIDs and wants to see more created to help deliver improvements and give businesses a stronger voice in shaping their local area. Loughborough BID 4. The Loughborough BID Company Ltd was established in February 2012 after holding a ballot in 2011. The BID has been successful in bringing partners together to assist with the economic regeneration in Loughborough and improving the prospects of the Town Centre. Over £1million has been invested so far. The annual levy raises a total of £240,000 each year to spend on business led projects. The Love Loughborough Partnership and BID management also secured £100,000 of extra funding from the Government as a Porta’s Pilot town and extra funding from the County Council’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund. In the first three years of the first term of the BID it has been successful in: Creatiing the Love Loughborough brand which has been embraced by the public - Promoting businesses to 11,000 loyalty card holders supported by the Love Loughborough website which gets over 8,000 visits each month. Love Loughborough social media pages (Twitter and Facebook) can reach up to 10,000 people each week. Expanding recycling and reducing waste – 200 businesses receive free recycling. Improving the attractiveness of Loughborough by supporting initiatives such as BLOOM with over 192 extra baskets and Christmas lights with an additional 700 metres of extra lights. Delivering marketing campaigns including distribution of town centre marketing material to 65,000 households for campaigns such as ‘Get into Loughborough’ and the Christmas programme delivered by Charnwood Borough Council. 6
Improving the appearance of empty shops and shop fronts though dressing vacant units and delivery of the Devonshire Square artwork. Reducing crime and anti-social behaviour and improve public confidence through crime prevention initiative including a crime information sharing scheme DISC, and discounted rates to 68 businesses to the retail radio scheme in the BID area. Supporting free car parking offers to support the promotion of over 15 annual events which has helped to increase trade for some businesses on these days by 25%. National consultation on BIDs 5. The government announced on the 6th December 2013 a wide ranging package of support for high streets that included undertaking a review of Business Improvement Districts. a. The review was progressed during 2014; the Loughborough BID was one of the BIDS that contributed to this process. On 8th November 2014 the Government announced a set of proposals, informed by the Review, that were intended to strengthen the role of Business Improvement Districts so that they could better support their local areas. b. The consultation covers four specific proposals for strengthening the role of the Business Improvement Districts. These are: Increasing transparency for all Business Improvement District bodies to strengthen accountability and quality: Mandating certain information to be included in any locally agreed Service Level Agreements between the Business Improvement District bodies and local authorities in order to encourage closer working; Giving Business Improvement Districts the choice of who collects the levy on their behalf ; and Introducing a streamlined approach for Business Improvement Districts to bring forward neighbourhood plans and neighbourhood development orders in non-parishes areas. In addition to these proposals this consultation also covers a number of suggested changes to the existing legislation that seek to clarify and streamline some existing areas; including Amending the guidance to local authorities to ensure they carefully consider exempting from the Late Night Levy, any eligible Business Improvement Districts that are already funding night time economy measures. Allowing areas that have not been successful in previous ballots to apply to the Businesses Improvement District Loan Fund for support following a period of at least 3 years between ballots. Guidance to encourage local authorities to involve the Business Improvement District contribution at planning committees on relevant applications and ensure their views are heard. Updating Compulsory Purchase Order guidance to ensure that local authorities properly consider a request from a Business Improvement District body to use Compulsory Purchase Order powers and provide a formal response. 7
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Cab 19 Nov 2015 Item 08 Loughborough Business Improvement District - Second Term

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